Son assaulted 80-year-old mum and police officers

A woman in her 80s was pushed by her 54 year old son after she asked him and his friend to make less noise during a drinking session, a court has heard.

Stuart Craig Weir of Wygate Road, Spalding, admitted assaulting his mother Margaret Campbell, as well as assaulting two police officers who went to her aid after she telephoned the police.

Prosecuting at Boston Magistrates Court, Jim Clare said Mrs Campbell, who is in her 80s, was in bed on the late evening of December 22 but was disturbed by the noise from her son, who lived with her, and a friend who had been drinking in a garden shed just outside her window since 4.30pm.

Mr Clare said that as she was also concerned neighbours would be disturbed, she went out and asked them to keep the noise level down as they were shouting and swearing, but they ignored her.

She went out again, he said, and asked them to leave and get out of her shed, but Weir told her: “No. I’m staying here. I’ve paid my rent.”

He then pushed his chest against her and she had to hold on to a pipe to stop herself falling over and Weir shouted again: “I pay my rent. You can’t put me out.”

Mr Clare said Mrs Campbell then went into her house, locked the door and went back to bed but, as the noise continued, she called the police as she was ‘not prepared to put up with his bully boy activities any more’.

Mr Clare said officers Murphy and Monaghan attended and when they approached Weir, he picked up a beer bottle and pushed PC Murphy with his hand.

When PC Monaghan went to handcuff him, Weir head butted him, said Mr Clare.

In mitigation, Michael Alexander said Weir claimed that he had moved his head to one side as he was handcuffed and inadvertently hit PC Monaghan.

He said Weir’s brother had died last year and both he and his mother were trying to deal with that.

“He now has work and no longer has a reason to go there,” he said.

The magistrates fined Weir a total of £766 and ordered him to pay £161 in costs and charges.